Roof Venting Without Eaves

Roof venting is important for a number of reasons. Roof vents dry out excess moisture that causes mildew in your roof framing and sheathing material. The roof stays cooler in hot weather, which extends the life of your shingles. If your attic has proper ventilation, your cooling costs will be minimal. Attic vents are usually placed in the eaves of a home, but what if there are no eaves? If you are looking into adding additional ventilation for your roof, and you are not sure how to properly vent a home without eaves, read through the following steps to learn how.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Thermostatically controlled power vent Roof ridge vents Jigsaw Metal screws Screw gun

1. Attach a thermostatically controlled attic exhaust fan over an attic vent. Each end of the gable roof should have one.

2. Create your own flow of air out the vents by setting the fan thermostat to go on when the attic temperature rises.

3. Do not rely just on exhaust vents. When intake vents, such as those built into the eaves, are unavailable, you must have another way of circulating the hot air out of the attic.

4. Build a few ridge vents on top of the roof while your home is under construction, or you can install them later if need be. These ridge vents provide another way for attic air to escape.

5. Cut a properly measured hole through the shingles and roof decking.

6. Mount the vent in the center of the house right behind the ridge so it is unseen from the street.

Tips & Warnings

• The best roof ventilation requires air intake and air exhaust. Without one or the other, proper air circulation isn't possible. If you do not have eaves on your roof, you must install your own air circulation system.
• Make sure the attic insulation isn't blocking your intake or exhaust vents.